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Part 1 of We're All Cowboys
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2023-02-15
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Daybreak

Summary:

Fourteen year old Harry potter had just defeated Voldemort in the final battle at Hogwarts and he was sick of it all. With nothing left for him in the UK, he boards a random boat taking him to a new life. A little less than a month later, fifteen year old Harry Potter finds himself in Mexico with no idea of what to do now. Luckily, he doesn't have to decide, as a Vampire finds him first.

This is the story of Harry's turning- read the tags if you feel like it.

This is a one shot part of my overall story "We're All Cowboys", which doesn't actually exist.

DO NOT COPY TO ANOTHER SITE OR TRANSLATE WITHOUT MY PERMISION.

Notes:

Clara, don’t you dare read this. Or at least know what you’re getting into

Trigger Warnings- Slight mention of child abuse, but only slightly more than what's hinted in Harry Potter; Slight mentions of malnutrition; a tiny mention of Jasper's war life; Maria is a warning in her own.

If I forgot to add anything- Tags, warnings, things in the disclaimer, etc.- or made stupid spelling errors, please notify me.

This is my first fic actually seen by the public, so sorry if its awful. Constructive criticism is of course welcome, but I prefer not leaving rude comments.

Time lines are screwed up, but if you have any questions- about anything, not just timelines- please ask I will be happy to answer (for the most part).
Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Daybreak
Part of we’re all cowboys

It wasn’t often that Jasper strayed this far from camp, but Maria had given him a few days after “doing such a good job” so he supposed it was in his right. There were humans wandering about in the diminishing light, presumably rushing to get back to their families, but they didn’t bother him all that much. It was only when he was surrounded by groups of bloodthirsty vampires that he would lose control, otherwise he was fine.

But that didn’t stop his eyes wandering over to the large boat that had just recently docked. Inside it he could smell the most wonderful scent, not of all the people, but just one singular scent. That’s what had drawn him here in the first place. He had been going on a random stroll seeing what humans had thought up in the last decade (it wasn’t often that he got out much) when it hit him. It wasn’t overwhelming, faint really, but it had caused his curiosity to spike.

Now he was perched in a low hanging branch obscured by the shadows, observing the mortals as they unboarded the wooden ship. He knew the idyllic scent hadn’t gotten off yet- though he was only interested, there were no plans of killing the human.

He knew instantly when the scent had made his way onto solid ground. From the back, he could make out a thin, short frame- one of a child, teenager at best- with unruly black hair going every which way. He briefly wondered if it was done like that to be stylish, or if the kid just didn’t know what to do with it.

Jasper continued to wait for someone to come out and join the child- he was much too young to be out all alone at night- but as the light quickly faded he realized that they must have been one of the last off the boat, and no one else was coming for them.

Where were this kid’s parents? He thought angrily, surely they weren’t here alone, off a boat, presumably in a new country!

This isn’t fair he thought as the young teen walked in the dark. He knew he should turn back, head someplace else, but Jasper just couldn’t turn away. Then, the owner of the scent turned.

Jasper was startled as he was faced with the most brilliant, emerald green eyes, like precious gems. He could tell those eyes couldn’t see him by the way they were squinting into the dark, but being a vampire did come with some perks, and Jasper could take it all in with perfect clarity.

He didn’t know how it happened. One second, he was watching the boy, prepared to fend off anyone who tried to mess with him, and the next second, he was directly beside him, staring at those vibrant green eyes.

The small body- much smaller than Jasper previously realized- seemed to sense him there, and tensed. By now, his head was hovering next to the boy’s ear, framed by his curly black locks; Jasper now saw they had the tiniest hint of red in them- a human wouldn’t have noticed.

“What’s your name?”, he gently whispered into the dead silence. He didn’t know what had come over him, but now he had to know.

“Harry”, Jasper mentally applauded the teen that despite his tense position, his voice didn’t waver. The only sign of discomfort was a slight flinch when Jasper lightly touched his back when he whispered, and his emotions giving him away.

“You have beautiful eyes, Harry”. He really did love those eyes. The most he ever saw these days was on a blood-red to black scale. They slightly reminded Jasper of his own green eyes as a human, but Harry’s were much more remarkable. He wished he could keep Harry with him forever, and stare into those beautiful irises everyday.

All the sudden Harry tensed underneath his hand. Horrified, Jasper realized he had inserted his fangs into Harry’s tiny neck. His intention was never to talk to the scent, let alone bite him! It could have been worse, he thought. He could have killed him.

But could it have? His mind argued, would you have liked this life for yourself?

No.

Jasper would never choose to live like this, and commending anyone else to it was the most cruel thing he could have done. And he was just a child! Jasper doubted he could be older than sixteen, and that was stretching it. And yet here he was, turning a child into a vampire!

It was insane! How could he have done this? He should have never gone to discover the scent, and he certainly shouldn’t have approached the boy. What would he do now? Could he just go back to Maria now with his own newborn to look after? How did he know she wouldn’t kill either of them at first glance? He thanked the stars that she had given him a few days off.

All his thoughts ran through his head before a second had passed. And yet, returning to the present, Jasper vaguely noticed that Harry wasn’t screaming. Surely he should be, right? Ever other turning Jasper had ever seen, it felt like their ragged screaming would never end. Screaming or not, he had to get the boy to a secluded spot. For in the morning, there were sure to be humans bustling about.

He picked up the tiny body and ran, his worry for the boy only increasing when he felt how thin Harry was. Was that normal? Jasper didn’t know enough about humans, but surely they weren’t all this thin- he’d seen enough to know that at least.

He laid the body down in a secluded open part of a small woods, feeling Harry’s heaving chest as he did so. Why wasn’t he screaming? Jasper knew the boy was in pain- he could feel it- yet barely a sound had left his lips.

Jasper’s venom burned through Harry’s blood stream, and all the while he worried and thought, arguing with himself.

Was it fine that he had turned this child? He knew it couldn’t possibly be. This boy was young, had barely even lived, and Jasper was taking that opportunity away from him. Probably even sending him to certain death if Maria forced him to fight in the wars.

On the other hand, it was clear no one was taking care of the boy- Jasper was sure of that. He could at least protect him, the best he could. And Jasper didn’t want to admit it, but he was incredibly lonely- company would be appreciated.

Jasper watched Harry’s turning, increasingly feeling panicky as time went on. Usually during a turning, the soon-to-be newborn would go through a change in physical appearance, yet Harry looked exactly the same. His hair was the same messy black-red as it was as human, his face hadn’t changed at all, not even the bite mark on his neck had disappeared, though it had scarred over.

Jasper had expected him to fill out more, get taller maybe, but nothing. His skin had already been rather pale to begin with, so it was understandable when that stayed the same. Yet Jasper still felt like he had done something wrong in the turning process. Not even his scars had disappeared. With this in mind, Jasper fiercely hoped that those stunning eyes wouldn’t fade away as well.

The only thing that gave Jasper any piece of mind was how Harry’s skin already felt stronger, cooler, like his own. With nothing to distract him from the happenings besides him, Jasper looked over at Harry’s things. A small suitcase, and a nap sack. Was this all he owned? Better than nothing he supposed- after all, many vampires were turned without any personal possessions.

He didn’t want to pry, but when he saw a slip of paper it got the better of him. He promised himself he wouldn’t peek at anything else, but he needed to see this.

It was a birth certificate.

 

Harington James Sirius Remus Fleamont Charlus Potter

Born to James Fleamont Potter and Lily Potter neé Evans

July 31, 1880

 

Fifteen.

Jasper had turned a fifteen year old boy into a vampire (barely fifteen, it had only just turned August). He sucked in a sharp breath. He knew Harry was young, but seeing it in front of him was something different entirely. Add in how small Harry was, and Jasper was a total monster.

Guilt encompassed him. He knew he was probably projecting, but he didn’t care. He had ruined the future of such a young man. The thought made him want to scream.

Harry James Potter did have a nice ring to it though, even if his full name was unreasonably long.

He put away the paper where it had been, and silently stared at Harry- his childe. The thought of actually being a Sire sounded insane.

Knowing Harry would be disoriented with all the enhanced senses, Jasper went to take off the round glasses covering those pretty eyes. Immediately, however, Harry seemed to protest the idea, panic surging and his body weakly trying to stop him.

Jasper immediately got the cue. “Hey, it’s okay. I just want to take these off so when you open your eyes you aren’t even more disoriented. Is that alright?”.

Harry was still wary, that much he didn’t need to be an empath to figure out, but his initial panic dispatched as he calmed a bit, so Jasper took that as a cue to remove them. Gently folding them with ease, he slid them into the nap sack, careful not to break them.

From then on, Jasper busied himself by telling Harry all about his life, both human and now.

“I really wanted to race horses, so when I was ‘round twelve, ma pa finally gave in an’ gave me one of ma own”.

“Jimber an’ I won nearly every race, every hurdle, everything life had thrown at us. We were always riding’”.

“Then ma brother Dallas came home and said he believed in the Yanks, and you can imagine the fight after that”.

“After Dally was disowned, the whole family was tense, but he knew what he wanted I suppose”.

“My Ma didn’t want me goin’, but I reckon she knew she couldn’t persuade me. I wanted to be free and I reckoned it was the only way”.

“I lied ‘bout my age to get in. I reckon if it weren’t for my height I wouldn’t have been so lucky”.

“So then I became Maria’s Major, an’ she’s just wantin’ for me to keep killing and training her ‘newborn army’”.

“An’ now Peter and Charlotte have run off together to who knows where, an’ I’m stuck being Maria’s ‘Major’. You can imagine she was pretty angry ‘bout Pete, but I wassnt ganna spill”.

Jasper got lost in own life, telling Harry every detail he could remember from his human life, and glossing over the more brutal aspects of his vampire life. He knew at times Harry was listening, his emotions said that much, but what he understood Jasper didn’t know.

The issue of Maria still lay on his head. He may have two, three more days until he would need to get back, which should give Harry the time required to change. He didn’t like it, but Maria would have to know about Harry- she would smell him on Jasper either way.

Jasper started to pace, careful to not leave Harry’s line of vision. He knew she would have him fight, there was no way around it; the question was how long he would last before Maria ordered him killed. The thought made him sick.

“Jazz?”

He turned sharply. Harry’s voice was weak, as if he had been screaming all night, or preventing screams for that matter. Yet, it didn’t sound all that different from the night before, while most vampire’s voices changed. Harry’s was lovely as it was.

He was a bit startled though at Harry being awake. He had changed in a little less than two days, while most took at least three. He hadn’t even heard his hurt speeding up before stopping, so deep in thought that he was.

He looked over at Harry’s face, not sure what he was expecting to see.

His eyes were blood red.

By the time Harry got off the boat, it was dark. He waited a bit, trying to figure out the ‘what now’. When he came to the conclusion that there really was no place for him to go, he grabbed his luggage and set off at a walk.

The whole time he was walking, Harry had the feeling that he was being watched. He gripped his bag more tightly- nearly everything he owned was shrunken inside- hoping that no one would try to mug him. He’d heard too many stories of Muggles trying to mug people.

Harry tensed. One second, he had been squinting into the dark trying to see his way around, and the next there was most definitely someone besides him. He couldn’t help as the fear settled in. He couldn’t just use magic on a muggle- how they got there so fast was anybody’s guess- and with such a small frame there was no way to fight them off.

“What’s your name?”

Harry couldn’t help the small but violent flinch when he felt a cool breath on his neck, at the same time he felt a light pressure on his back. Trying not to panic- anything could go wrong here- he whispered back just as quietly, his voice thankfully calm.

“You have beautiful eyes, Harry”.

This person couldn’t be human, he thought. They just couldn’t. How had they even been able to see his eyes in the surrounding abyss? Not to mention they had appeared out of nowhere and their breath was cold. Human breaths were always warm.

He mentally cataloged all the creatures he knew of, and came to the dizzying conclusion that right behind him stood a vampire.

Knowing that, it really shouldn’t have come as a surprise when he felt razor sharp teeth- fangs- sinking into his neck, yet it did, and he further tensed. He could feel pain lacing through his body, worse than the cruciatus or any of the Dursleys' beatings. Inch by inch, more of his body was feeling the effects of the venom.

He felt woozy as he contained the screams that so badly yearned to tear through his neck, but he held them in. Harry vaguely registered being picked up, but he was too out of it to think much of it.

Over the next few hours, his life seemed to flash before his eyes. A flash of green light accompanied by cruel laughter; three year old Dudley, throwing a tantrum; uncle Vernon, yelling at him at how much he was a freak, digging the words into Harry’s side so he would never forget it.

Hagrid the giant, knocking down the large door to get to Harry; Hedwig, hooting softly in acceptance when they first met; the chamber of secrets- they were threatening to close the school; his godfather Sirius on the loose; Dumbledore forcing him into the triwizard tournament; Cedric, Voldemort.

The propaganda, lies sprawled across the front page; disappearances, deaths; the order- all but dead; horcruxes; the final battle; Sirius, Remus- gone; Snape's memories; his own death; what should have been the end but left no form of accomplishment or fulfillment.

His depression getting worse; life getting harder to hold onto; media impossible to avoid; the need to leave-escape, start a new life; leaving on a boat from who knows where to who knows where.

And suddenly, Harry realized he could remember everything with perfect clarity. Every little instance, the tiniest part of his life, he could recall exactly. Even memories buried deep inside, that he had no recollection of before were clear as day.

His state of wonder and nostalgia and remorse and pain was interrupted by a fierce feeling of guilt. Why would he be guilty? He knew he was, for all the death and destruction he had caused, but why so sudden, so intense?

A moment later he felt a pull on his glasses, and panic surged. He didn’t have much, but those glasses were special- they had been through hell and back with him, carrying the blood of innocents like a second layer of paint, and saving his life a few times, even though the prescription was off.

Whomever had been trying to remove his glasses stopped, as if sensing his rising panic. He heard a soothing voice trying to reassure him, and although it was hard to make out in his dizzy state of mind, Harry could feel honesty and something like trust as his panic subdued. He couldn’t fathom why he would be trusting someone he didn’t even know, but he was in too much pain to care.

Then it wasn’t his life he was reliving, but the vampire besides him. It was unexpected, having a whole life story thrown at him, but with nothing better to do he tried his best to listen.

“I basically grew up in the stables”.

“I was debating between Timber and Jimmy, an’ then I had said Jimber, and Dal wouldn’t let me take it back”.

“I wanted to be wild and free- a cowboy”.

“My Ma thought I was too rambunctious, had too high of aspersions. And I was thinkin’ she just didn’t want me growing up too fast”.

“When the chance came I took it and enlisted in the army, to fight for my home”.

“I ain’t got a clue how I progressed so quickly, I was just mighty good at getting folk to do what I wanted”.

“I remember thinkin’ they couldn’t possibly be humans, they looked too much like angels; now I know Maria is anything but”.

“I found a companionship with Peter. Must have been the closest thing I got as a friend”.

“Maria said I did good and got to take a few days off before the next battle”.

Although Harry couldn’t understand everything, he got the general gist of things. This cowboy had wanted to be wild and free so he joined in some war, which resulted in him becoming a vampire. Some things still didn’t make sense to him however, like what in the world was the Confederate Army? And where did a major rank?

Harry heard pacing not far from him as he felt the pain thin out. As he let out his last breath, he opened his eyes.

Immediately, he closed them again. The sun was blazing overhead, a stark comparison the the night before. And, just like his memories, Harry’s eyesight was perfect- utterly perfect. It was a bit disorienting, especially because his eyesight before had been absolutely rubbish. Finally, he squinted open his eyes, trying to ignore the different sounds pounding through his ears and the multitude of scents attacking him (despite how secluded they were).

He was laying on the ground, positioned leaning against a rock. He was relieved to see that both items of luggage were placed at his side. Harry looked up to see that the vampire was indeed pacing. His hair was a golden blond, and Harry knew that the man was rather tall, despite his eye level being on the ground.

He looked troubled, probably whatever was causing his pacing, and from both the way he had spoken earlier and the way he looked now Harry could tell he was lonely. Harry couldn’t find it in himself to be mad at the man for turning him (Harry had gone on the boat in hopes of a new life after all).

“Jazz?”, Harry was pretty sure that was the guy’s name. He had only mentioned it once or twice while Harry was only partially coherent, so he couldn’t be sure, but the blond head turned so it must have been close.

Instantly, Jazz was crouched down beside him, and Harry idly wondered if he could move that fast now too.

“Hey, are You alright?” Harry nodded slightly. He was glad for the softness of Jazz’s voice- his senses were still overwhelming him.

“Are you sure?”. The vampire still looked concerned, which puzzled Harry. Why would he be concerned?

“Uhh, yeah”, he answered, cringing slightly as he winced at a noise while trying to get up- so much for proving his point.

Jazz looked torn, as though half of him wanted to push Harry back down, and the other half wanting to help him sit up. Finally, he offered his arm. “Here. It can be pretty uncomfortable at first, but in time you’ll get used to it”.

He still looked pretty concerned and… guilty? That didn’t settle right with him. Surely the man didn’t feel guilty about turning him? It was clear that he was lonely, and it wasn’t uncommon for vampires to go around turning people. Wanting to make Jazz feel better, he said the only thing he could think of.

“Thank you”

“Thank you?”, this seemed to properly perplex his Sire.

“For- for fixing my eyesight. And umm, keeping me company?”

He didn’t want to say “keeping me around”, cause who knows? What if the guy was just going to leave him either way? Jazz seemed to sense his conflicting emotions, though he was looking slightly bemused.

He seemed to shake it off, and after a moment began explaining things to Harry that he vaguely remembered hearing- perhaps during his turning?

The two actually got on pretty well, and Harry found himself trusting the other man against his will. He seemed rather… protective of Harry, which was strange to say the least, but also welcoming in a way. He could feel himself easing slightly the longer he got to know Jazz, despite that look in his eyes that screamed that he was a warrior- possibly dangerous. Yet some insane part of Harry’s mind didn’t seem to process this, and felt safe.

As night set in, Jazz seemed to become less happy, slinking back into that mood Harry had very first seen him pacing. At last he declared that they would need to get back to camp, and Harry followed his Sire willingly. He may only barely know him, but Harry would follow Jazz anywhere if he was still wanted.

 

 

It was many months before Harry learned his Sire’s name was Jasper.

Notes:

Right, so that's that, what do you think? I'm not so sure about the ending- it's kind of on the mid side. Sorry if anyone was out of character, that was not my intention- though I am writing shy-er Harry, so he may be a bit ooc. I wrote this whole author's note at the end but it was unbearably long so I scratched that.
Should I write the end part from Jaspers POV? I was thinking about it, but wanted to hear what y'all thought first. I hope you enjoyed reading this- if not, sorry for wasting your time.

 

And, if anybody wants to read a real cute and terribly sad uncompleted fan fiction with an awful cliff hanger leaving you wondering whatever will happen next that’s about Jasper and Harry being best friends (and possibly more), go ahead and read this https://archiveofourown.info/works/17083085 . It’s probably one of my favorite things ever, and I used some of the ideas from the story in Jasper’s life story (though I did change some things). Truly an amazing piece of work. It’s also on ffn.

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